Look Good, Feel Good

Look Good, Feel Good

Body Lift (Thigh/Buttocks) in Danville

A body lift operation is a procedure that removes excess skin and fat from the sides and back of the hips, thighs and buttocks. Many patients that undergo a lower body lift have had significant weight loss, either through gastric bypass surgery, pregnancies, or through diet and exercise. After weight loss, the stretched skin envelope that once held the fat is loose and sagging. A body lift removes this excess and can dramatically improve the contours of the entire lower body.

The procedure is done by making a horizontal incision along the waistline from the side of the lower abdomen all the way to the middle of the lower back. The skin and fat are elevated off of the thighs, hips, and buttocks and then “pulled up” like a loose pair of pants. The excess skin is removed and the incisions are closed, leaving the final horizontal scar within the pantyline. The procedure is then repeated on the other side. Results are often dramatic with a significant lift of the thighs and buttocks.

The procedure is often combined with other procedures, especially liposuction. It is often done as a staged procedure following abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck.

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*Individual results may vary

Lower Body Lift

Pregnancy, weight gain/loss and time can cause many changes in the body. Women develop laxity along their body down the center midline (treated with abdominoplasty) and along the outer rear portion of the thighs and buttocks. These patient will often choose a lower body lift or buttocks lift. The procedures are similar and we choose on or the other based on the patient exam and desires.

The typical patient that presents for buttocks contouring complains of extra skin, extra fat, not enough fat, stretch marks, and/or drooping of the buttocks and upper lateral thigh. Some patients complain that they have a flat droopy buttock and that their clothes don’t fit properly. Most report flabby skin that is dimpled or hangs (cellulite). The buttocks lift procedure addresses these types of issues providing a more attractive shape and contour of the buttocks and upper thighs.

The buttocks lift is completed through an incision made across the upper buttock in an area that is usually covered by undergarments. Typically, some liposuction is done in the lower back or love handle region as well as the lateral thighs. The fatty tissue in the buttock is often preserved redistributed in the buttocks to improve the shape. No implant is necessary. Excess skin is removed, lifting the buttocks upwards. In the end, the love handles and lateral thighs are much smaller, the buttocks are higher and tighter, and there is more definition and shape to the buttocks.

If you have more significant laxity of the lateral thighs, then the buttock lift incision can be extended and a lower body lift can be performed. The amount of extension is tailored to the individual and their particular degree of laxity. This procedure is more common when there has been weight loss.

While these procedures are not very high on the pain scale, there is an awkward recovery. Patient will typically stay on their sides and stomach after the procedure for one or two weeks. It is OK to stand or be flat but not sit for some time.

With buttock lifts and lower body lifts, we will typically do some liposuction of the lower back and thighs. An abdominoplasty and potentially some liposuction are often combined with the lower body lift.

Depending on the type of work, most patients are ready to return with 2 weeks.